Shutter-operator



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. CREIGHTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHUTTER-OPEIR-ATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent N0. 15,416, dated July Q9, 1856.

To all 'whom "it may conccrn:

Be it known that I, J AMES R. OREIGHTON; of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in )Vindow Blind and Shutter Operators and Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification.

The greatest difficulty encountered by the inventor in contrivances for this purpose, is the production of an article at a sufficiently low cost; having the necessary nicety of adjustment, a combination believed to be attained in the present instance, as a good common article of the description herein alluded to can be made at a cost of about 25e. per window.

Figure No. 1 is a full size plan of a section of window, constructed and set as usual in brick houses throughout the greater part of the United States. (A) is a part of the inside casing or finish of the window; (B),

; a horizontal cut through the upright side of the window-frame; (C) is the sashweight box; (D), the frame-sill of the window, represented as broken, to show the operator (E), (F) is the stone sill; (G), aportion of the brick-work; (I-I) is part of a window-blind the hinge to which is pivoted at (I).

The exterior of the operator (E) Apresents a plain cast-iron box or tube7 about inches long, by about g of an inch square; it is open at Aboth ends, having at the outer end cast in one piece with it an escutcheon-plate (J) receiving two common screws (K) that secure to operator to the window frame. On the lower edge of the escutcheon-plate (J) is a projection or lip (L) to which is pivoted a bent-arm or lever (M) this arm or lever acts upon the blind or shutter through means of a staple (N) in which it has the required freedom of action, giving motion to the blind or shutter (H) by being pressed alternately upon one or the other side of said staple. On one side of the arm (M) is a projection (O), having on its under side a pivot, by which a shackle (P) is secured to the arm or lever before mentioned the other end of this shackle isjointed to a slide (Q) the box (E) before mentioned answering as a slide-frame to the same. One of the inner sides of this box (as may be seen in the drawing) is serrated or toothed and a projection or flange on the slide passing under said teeth secures the said slide from vertical displacement. On the inner end of the slide (Q) are formed jaws (S. S S) these jaws receive (and retain against longitudinal displacement) a serrated tumbler-catch (T T) the vertical displacement of which is prevented by a square extension-rod (U) said rod passing through the jaw (S) of the slide (in which it has a partial rotary, as well as longitudinal movement,) and through a square orice (V) in the tumbler-catch (T) (as seen in Fig. No. 2 which is a vertical sectional cut through the operator,) in which orifice said rod is allowed longitudinal motion only. A projection or stud (IV) on the under side of the tumbler-catch (T) (as shown in Fig. No. 2) having a limited motion in a transverse slot in the slide (Q) prevents the rotation of the tumblercatch (T) farther than is necessary to effect the object of locking and unlocking. The parts (S S) of the jaws form guides to the square extension-rod (U) fitting said rod sufficiently close to prevent any rotary motion in the same; by which means it will be seen that the dislodgement of the tumblercatch (T) is effectually prevented by the entrance of said rod between the guides (S S.) In Fig. No. l the dark lines represent the blind as open and folded back against the wall; the red lines representing the saine in the reverse position, or shut.

Opening the blind; brings the knob or handle (Y) (attached to the extension-rod) into the room; in effecting this operation, the rod (U) has been drawn past the guides (S S) and the end of it which is bent upward, so as to form a lug (Z) has entered a recess in the tumbler-catch (T) designed to receive it7 while the partial rotation which was necessary in order to release the tuinbler-catch from its previous position (T) has thrown the lug (Z) between said tumbler-catch and the guide (S) thus effecting a connection between the extension-rod and the slide; by which said slide may be moved in either direction and through it the blind, by the bent-arm and connecting shackle as before described. To effecta return of the knob (Y) to its usual position (Y) that it may not continue to project into the room; the first movement required is a partial rotation of said knob7 by which the teeth (a) of the tumbler-catch (T) are made to interlock with the teeth (b) in the slide-box; the stop (W) on the tumbler-catch (Fig. No. 2) preventing its rotating farther than is necessary to effect the object of fastening, while at the same time the extension-rod (U) is brought square with the space between the guides (S S) between which it may then be made to slide until the knob (Y) is brought to its place in the window casing. It will thus be seen that when the lmob is in the position (Y) the blind or shutter must be securely fastened in whatever position left. The space (e) between the teeth in the box is filled or left flush with the extreme, projection of said teeth to prevent fastening the blind in a position in which it would be impracticable to hold it securely in violent winds, however strong the operator or fastener.

The square form of operator is sent to the office, as it admits of more ready examination; it is usually provided with a sheet-iron cover to prevent the bent end of the extension-rod (U) from wearing the window-frame-sill, and to exclude such wear from falling in upon the slide.

A better form is shown in Fig. No. 3, in which the top of the box is round, being closed in the casting; flanges (e e) form ways at the bottom for the slide; the space between which affords ample support to the dry-sand-core in casting.

is the serrated surface and (T) the tumbler-catch has its bearings sulhciently removedto one side of the center to allow of the disengagement of the teeth (g) of the tumbler-catch from those in the slideframe or box It is desirable for houses already built, that the slide should be on the other side of the arm; to avoid the nails used in the construction of the window frame; in such case the attachment would be made to the bentarm at There is another advantage attending this point of attachment, as the joints between the arm, shackle and slide are all drawn in, out of the way of being tampered with from the outside, when the blind or shutter is closed, though the appearance when open, is not so desirable as said shackle must protrude.

Fig. No. 1, is a plan of a section of al window, as commonly constructed in wooden houses; it is drawn on a scale of one half the full size. As windows in such houses have but one sill, the form of the bent-arm or lever is necessarily somewhatdifferent, as is also the manner of attaching the same. The dark lines show the position of the blind when open and the red lines show it when shut. The bent arm is pivoted on the frame sill; having bearings in an iron plate secured to the frame sill with common screws; the plate (7s) has a circular collar on its upper side perpendicular with its surface, surrounding the pivot (Z) of the arm under said arm; the arm having on its under side a lip, or flange, closing over said collar, the object being to exclude any water that might fall upon the window sill from passing into and under the same. Under the pivot of the arm, is the pivot of a crank (m) which oscillates in a plate (a) said plate being formed by a lateral extension of the slide-box or frame (0) constructed in other respects like the one already described in Fig. No. 1; the shackle (2)) being attached to the crank instead of the arm. On the upper side of the crank perpendicular with its center of motion and that of the arm above, is a square tenon about one inch in length, which enters a corresponding socket (1^) in the pivot of the arm and thus forms a connection between the slide and the arm. In order to avoid the projection of the arm beyond the front of the house when the A blind is closed, a common screw in the bottom of the blind supported by an iron plate (s) is substituted for the staple before mentioned, said screw traversing a slot (o) in the arm of such curve as to allow said arm to fold under the blind or shutter as seen in Fig. No. 4. The square tenon` (before mentioned) entering the socket (r) about one inch, allows of such vertical extension between the pivot of the crank and the arm as will adapt them to any ordinary variation in the thickness of window frame sills. rIhe movemnt of the slide (t) and shackle (29) is all within the escutcheon plate (u) as any projection beyond the sill would frequently be much in the way, besides producing an ungainly appearance by such prot-rusion.

I-Iaving thus fully, clearly and exactly described the nature, construction and operation of my improvemnt in window-blind and shutter operators and fasteners, what I claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The attachment of the serrated tumblercatch (T) to the slide (Q) said catch meshing or interlocking with a similarly serrated or toothed surface-opposed-(R) on the side of the slide-box or frame (E) in combination with the square extension-rod and guides (S S) by which I am enabled to operate the outside blinds or shutters of a house from the inside of the same, and to secure said blinds or shutters in any desired position, without the liability of their dislodgment from the outside, unless by the eX- ercise of unusual violence.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand before two subscribing witnesses.

J AMES R. CREIGHTON.

Witnesses:

ANDREW CAGNEAU, SAMUEL A. AVERY. 

